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only constant contact with the public, but as a catch the breath he needed, and then speak.
hearings officer, the requisite ability to convey He went on through his time in the club to
decisions and explain the reasoning for his be a great speaker and leader, but with his
ruling—and for that he stood in front of the club increased speaking, etc., his hearings work
of 20 plus members that Friday afternoon. He began to interfere with the club meetings. His
looked calm, confident, and the first thing he boss met me one morning at the local coffee
did was reach into the space beneath the lectern shop and expressed his thanks for training
and remove a paper bag, hold it up to his lips and him so well, and as he continued to advance in
begin breathing in and out. We sat stunned for the department, and use those skills that the
just a brief minute, watching the bag inflate and Toastmaster program could teach him. What
deflate. I begin to think, “what a brilliant way a wonderful life!
of introducing himself as a ‘newbie’ by showing That example of the change wrought
us all how we felt at our first public speech in through our program is just one of many
Toastmasters!” He then went on to present a positive attributes I have seen over the years.
grand introduction to his life and reason for There have been great and creative stories,
being there, wowing his listeners who received impassioned pleas for community action,
it with great applause. exemplars of a change or impact upon their
Later, after the meeting concluded with well-being. There have been “Jingling Johnny’s,”
him receiving his ICE BREAKER ribbon, he “Fig Leaves,” “Windmills,” “The Ring Twister”
confessed the truth. It was not a well thought and other such observed behaviors introduced
out and cleaver intro, but a genuine fear and at the first speech, but by the third or fourth
need for him to go on to speak—to calm down, mere memories as they had learned and
VOICES! | JANUARY 2023 27
